The Spider and the Fly / Mary Howitt
The Spider and the Fly is a poem by Mary Howitt (1799-1888), published in 1829. The first line of the poem is "'Will you walk into my parlour?' said the spider to the fly." The Spider and the Fly "Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly; “’Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy. The way into my parlor is up a winding stair, And I have many pretty things to show when you are there.” “O no, no,” said the little fly, “to ask me is in vain, For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.” “I’m sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high; Will you rest upon my little bed?” said the spider to the fly. “There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin, And if you like to rest awhile, I’ll snugly tuck you in.” “O no, no,” said the little fly, “for I’ve often heard it said, They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed.” Said the cunning spider to the fly, “Dear friend, what shall I do, To prove the warm affection I’ve always felt for you? I have within my pantry good store of all that’s nice; I’m sure you’re very welcome; will you please to take a slice?” “O no, no,” said the little fly, “kind sir, that cannot be; I’ve heard what’s in your pantry, and I do not wish to see.” “Sweet creature!” said the spider, “You’re witty and you’re wise! How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes! I have a little looking-glass upon my parlor shelf, If you’ll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.” “I thank you, gentle sir,” she said, “for what you’re pleased to say, And bidding you good-morning now, I’ll call another day.” The spider turned him round about, and went into his den, For well he knew the silly fly would soon be back again: So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly, And set his table ready to dine upon the fly. Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing “Come hither, hither, pretty fly, with the pearl and silver wing: Your robes are green and purple; there’s a crest upon your head; Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead.” Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little fly, Hearing his wily flattering words, came slowly flitting by. With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue; Thinking only of her crested head — poor foolish thing! At last, Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast. He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den, Within his little parlor; but she ne’er came out again! And now, dear little children, who may this story read, To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed; Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye, And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly. Plot and theme The story tells of a cunning Spider who ensnares a naive Fly through the use of seduction and flattery. The poem is a cautionary tale against those who use flattery and charm to disguise their true evil intentions. Recognition A version by Tony DiTerlizzi of "The Spider and the Fly," illustrated by DiTerlizzi, was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2007.Childrens Book awards announced, New York Times October 6, 2007]. Web, Oct. 8, 2007 In popular culture *The opening line is one of the most recognized and quoted 1st lines in all of English verse. Often misquoted as "Step into my parlour" or "Come into my parlour", it has become an aphorism, often used to indicate a false offer of help or friendship that is in fact a trap. The line has been used and parodied numerous times in various works of fiction. *When Lewis Carroll was readying Alice's Adventures Under Ground for publication he replaced a parody he had made of a negro minstrel songGardner, Martin; The Annotated Alice, 1998 ( ) with a parody of Howitt's poem. The "Lobster Quadrille", in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is a parody of Howitt's poem (it mimics the meter and rhyme scheme, and parodies the 1st line, but not the subject matter, of the original).Lewis Carrols parody of Mary's poem accessed 3 October 2007 *English Rock band The Cure make reference to the poem in their 1989 song "Lullaby," in which Smith whispers an adapted extract from the poem toward the end of the song. *Heavy Metal band Heaven & Hell made reference to the poem in their song "Atom & Evil" from the album The Devil You Know. - Lines: I'm here for you, said the spider to the fly. And, Into the parlor came the spider. *The Hutchinson Family Singers performed a version of the poem that was adapted to song by Jesse Hutchinson, Jr. *1965 song by The Rolling Stones — One is left wondering: who is the spider, and who is the fly? *"Arachnitect": title song for the 2008 album by Kristen Lawrence — Rock song with a harpsichord, electric guitar and bass creating quirky spider sounds as the spider chases the fly *Noise-rock band The Paper Chase references the poem in their song, "Said the Spider to the Fly". ;Film *1923 cartoon: theatrical short by Aesop Fables Studio. *1931 cartoon: Silly Symphonies theatrical animated short by Walt Disney Productions *1949 film: World War I spy mystery with a love triangle, starring Eric Portman, Guy Rolfe & Nadia Gray *2006 film: Animation/Family film directed by Brad Peyton ;Television *On NCIS episode "Spider and the Fly," the poem is mentioned as the last words of Paloma Reynosa. :Paloma: Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly. Have you ever heard that poem Gibbs? References External links ;Audio / video *The Spider and the Fly" at YouTube Category:1829 poems Category:English poems Category:Text of poem Category:19th-century poems Category:Children's poems